Good morning!!!
Please call me if you are having any technical difficulties.
Read the intro portion (click on the green link here) intro to the 1st Bible study (March 22 post) but we will be commenting on this post. Underneath that you will find daily 1 or 2 daily topics in the comments section. Under each comment is a a green word “reply”. If you click on that you can make comments on that particular comment. If you want to make a general comment on the whole thread, there is a white box at the very bottom of the post for general comments. Do include your initials or first name in your comment so people can see who is commenting, but no need to make an account or login. You can jump in and share verses that God brings to your mind as we go. I would love to hear what He is revealing to you all in these verses. Just like what we do in a group. Share what jumps out to you in each verse. Let’s encourage one another, and be blessed by the Word together. You may need to hit the refresh button on your browser to see new comments.
Starting at 11am, I will post one section of scripture at a time in the comments below. Please read it out loud and share whatever jumps out to you. Our focus is the goodness and faithfulness of God but other observations are welcome.
Today we are focussing on the book of Job. Any verse in the book of Job is game. I will start at the beginning. Please be encouraged to post in the comments any verses you would like to discuss.
Healing and Discipleship 
Hello! So sorry, had some technical difficulties.. All figures out now.
1st verse to share comments on “Job 1 King James Version (KJV) “1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. 4 And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. 5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.”
The very virst verse astonishes me Pre-Cross, it was possible for a man to be perfect and upright, to genuinely fear God and turn from evil. God has somehow put this incredible capacity within us. If it was possible for Job pre-Pentecost… how much more so is it available now that we have the Holy Spirit and the finished work of the Cross behind us?
What an amazing thought!
I Love that he was offering up sacrifice for his family because of his Love and reverence for God. A true priest.
Rob
Isn’t it amazing? Every parent who realizes this has immense ability to protect and provide for their family.
As a mama, I have being thinking about the fact that the proctection on Job’s life extended to His fully grown up children. As long as the hedge around His life was intact, his children and wife were perfectly secure in that hedge. There are several references to this hedge… i will try to pull up some verses that speak about what it is.
It’s a wonderful thought to perhaps realize that Job gathered with all his sons and daughters one at a time in rotation feasting each day ,indicating how close they must have been as a family. Even then though he goes before the Lordinterceding on behalf of his children in case they had sinned and cursed God in their harts. This gives me reason to believe I too can pray for my children ,going before the courts of heaven ,in case they have also ‘sinned or ‘cursed God in their hearts’ …as I do have concern for my children and where they might be in their attitudes towards God these days .
Karen
LOL… I was just thinking the same thing
1 Corinthians 7:14 KJV “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.”
This idea in Hebrew indicates he nurtured each individual relationship with his sons!
Wow…. motivates me to really invest in that one on one time.
This reminds actually of the book of Acts.. they met and ate together and went from house to house… almost suggests that we are meant to have the same intimacy within the body of Christ as Job had within His own bloodline family. Perhaps we need a big mental shift to recognize that we are now part of the same blood line family via the blood of Christ and far greater intimacy and community has always been God’s intention?
What jumps out at me is verse 5. Job had such great love and care for his sons, but what was most important to him is that they may have sinned and maybe cursed God in their hearts, so offered sacrifice for them. That seems to me to be a type of Christ, do you think? Wendy
OOOhhh YES!!! At His cost… and to cover every possibility.
What if what Job feared most wasn’t losing his stuff, as that isn’t really what shook him up…. What if what he feared most was not fearing God/ cursing God? The theme runs through the book. If this is so, then we have a valuable lesson to learn from this man of God. That those who walk in true reverential fear of the Lord have the right perspective to walk within His hedge and His abounding, super abounding blessing.
Yes ! Fearing NOT fearing God is what can motivate us to stay constantly in an attitude of humility before Him.
Karen
I know it is kind of a dirty word now… but what I see in this verse is immense prosperity. This honestly does line up though with what I read throughout scripture. God continually gives back/pays back whatever is given according to His Kingdom principles… Which is in turn given back out to God’s people and produces men that are known not only for their uprightness but for the abundance and great generosity.
I am sincerely praying that God will reveal to me how His Kingdom operates stewardship wise. Kevin Zadai inspires me to think more generously. They live modestly but act as a storehouse that continually receives and pour out unto God’s people and the nations.
2nd portion of scripture Job 1 KJV”6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought?
10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
It makes my heart smile to see that just like God, human papa’s feel pride/joy/delight in the wellbeing of their children. God was the one to point out Job’s excellence. This encourages me to know my choices and lifestyle can be a deight to the Lord
Yes I love that too. Although I’ve often thought that if Job knew what was going on he might have said, It’s okay God you don’t need to brag about me to Satan, I don’t want the attention from him thanks. Haha
Lol!
Biggest thing that always jumps out to me in these verses is that BECAUSE Job walked uprightly and reverentially towards the Lord, Satan could NOT touch anything that was his.. To know again that this kind of total protection was available to Job then, pre-cross, how much more so to us know after the finished work of Christ.
I know that many people have tried to make a doctrine out of this.. but this permission was only required because of the holiness in which Job chose to dwell. Very interesting that the New Testament says that we will have all these blessing with persecutions.. God can provide for us abundantly, he can bless us with good health, he can protect our families etc… the only exception I can see all through scripture is that the one thing He consistenly doesn’t shield His people from is other people.
One of many verses in this awsome book is Vs 6-7.
Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the [d]Lord, and Satan (adversary, accuser) also came
among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?”
Then Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming around on the earth and from walking around on it.”
That Satan had access to Heaven and God is so amazing. So many things come to my mind.
Rob
Verses like this stir my heart to want to understand how the ‘courts of heaven operate’ and what provisions God has made for us to guard us against the accuser
Yes I want to explore the ‘Courts of heaven more!
Karen
Yes me too. Wendy
Verse 8 in the amplified version, ….a blameless and upright man, one who fears God (with reverence) and abstains from and turns away from evil(because he honours God). That is quite a telling verse for me. He doesn’t abstain from evil because He is afraid of what God might do to him, but because he honours God. Such a different take than some Christian’s have preached over the years. The Hellfire and brimstone sermons. LOL. Wendy
So our perspective IS kind of a HUGE deal hey?
Yes ! This relationship that God and Job had with each other reads like a mutual delighting in each other and like you are pointing out Lisa ..that this was pre- cross should be such an encouragement for believers!
Karen
3rd portion Job 1 KJV “13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
This amazes and astonishes me. HOW deeply rooted was Job to be able to respond instantly to this kind of devastation. Heart prayer that I could know and understand God even on this level… later of course Job says he was still kind of stuck in head knowledge at this time. Imagine the joy and peace and perspective we can have when if we get to the place of walking in the intimate communion Job has entered into by the end of the book.
Boom Boom Boom Boom! 4 messengers right on the heals of each other bringing the worst news ever culminating in his whole family being wiped out and Jobs response reveals how he walked in such a humility with no sense of entitlement whatsoever! God gives and takes away. I sometimes feel all the blessings and prosperity we enjoy and take for granted humanly speaking breeds a sense of entitlement and complaining reaction when suddenly the things that bring us comfort in our normal routines are taken away…like what the world is experiencing now. What an opportunity we have to express nothing but worship and gratitude these days!
Karen
So true. If he could respond this way in the face of so much.. The whole book of Job is a very brief window of time… a matter or a few weeks really.. So yes, he went through this intensive, beyond imagineable time of tempting and loss but if we were to consider his life as a whole, we would see that it was preceded by immense blessings and followed by years of immense blessing. Makes me wonder about how powerful it is to navigate through trials from a position of worship, praise and reverence. How much faster would the trials pass if our hearts and perspective are fixed as Job’s were?
I remember how Satan accused Joshua the priest when he was in the heavens.
Zech 3:1
Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the [a]Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him. Rob
1 John 2:1 King James Version (KJV) “2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” It is amazing to meditate that we have the blood of Jesus on the mercy seat of Heaven forever crying out forgiveness and mercy for all of our sins. And even doubly amazing to think that Jesus continues to advocate on our behalf. Romans 8:34 New King James Version “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.”
Job’s response in vs 20-21 just breaks my heart and humbles me.
Rob
Impossible to imagine. I have walked through 3 losses of babies from the womb.. the 2nd I could worship and praise God through the time of loss.. God positioned me to worship and praise Him through the loss of my mom too.. I find it interesting that scripture often records the actions and yet not the emotions of the person being mentioned. Do you think it is possible that’s because God puts far less emphasis on the emotions of the situation and puts far greater weight on the choice we make in spite of the emotions?
What you have expressed here Lisa ,this thought that God puts more emphasis on the the decisions made rather than the emotions is both healing and comforting to me ,in that I have been a fairly emotional person in the past and judging myself harshly and living under condemnation wrestling with those emotions.. as if I was sinning or displeasing to God for feeling them.I recognize now how He in His love and grace towards me has delivered me completely from having my emotions define who I am. It took many years but I’m free and He gets all the praise! Philippians 1;6
Karen
Amen! K.C
Second that Amen. W.R.
It is so encouraging that all of this is pre-cross. I am in awe that Job could respond the way he did to the devastating loss that he suffered. Not his stuff, but his children and he obviously loved them very much because he sacrificed for them. Even though he had 10 more later in my Momma’s heart that doesn’t replace the ones he lost. That is a hard one for me. But I can only pray to have the response that Job had.
Wendy
Yes that is what I was expressing yesterday as well Wendy . God work within us this response as we really don’t know what a day may bring especially in the times we are living in.. I want Him and ask Him to work that preparation of Spirit within me !
An interesting thought I have had is that I don’t know that I could have or would have humanly chosen to have 7 children.. when we started, I was thinking from an entirely different perspective. The reality is now 7 eternal people exist.. And we are still open for more. Their is a good possibility that if the ones who were in heaven were here, we would have stopped… eternally that means likely 3 precious eternal gifts and creations that would never have been had it not been for the “losses” we walked through. Trying to frame it in eternity always challenges my thinking to the uttermost.
Love you all. See you tomorrow. Wendy
Blessings…
Has anyone else notice that the time is weirdly way off. Haha
I will try to fix it. What time zone are we in?
Yep! But time and days are all weirdly off these days. See you tomorrow !
Karen
Eastern Standard
Yay you fixed it!!!!
That was fast!